


Once Upon a Bracelet

by SulaRae



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Poedel, Prince Ben Solo, Reylo - Freeform, Reylo AU Week, Reylo Fairytale AU, Soul Bond, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-02 16:27:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15800295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SulaRae/pseuds/SulaRae
Summary: "...The strength of a blood bound pair could be quite formidable. Their powers and abilities joined in a sacred union that was – to all known craft – unbreakable. Over the centuries, powerful soulmates rose to become great warriors, crafters, or leaders of their people…"Rey of Jakku was born to nothing, but her powerful craft caught the eye of a charming prince. However, his distinctly un-charming elder brother challenged her betrothal and is routinely challenging her. Ben Solo is (probably) a former necromancer and (definitely) the wrong prince...But the bracelets tell a different story.





	Once Upon a Bracelet

**Author's Note:**

> This is my submission for Reylo AU Week: Fairytale/Fantasy  
> (Yes, I know it is a tad late. BUT it is still Reylo AU week so I'm gonna go ahead and call it a win.)
> 
> I do not usually write stories like this, but I had an idea and I wanted to try. Please let me know what you think. Feedback is powerful magic... 
> 
> **Note:** In this universe, Poe is younger than Ben, about 28 years old to Ben's (almost) 30 years old. Rey is 23. Poe is also Ben's adopted brother.
> 
> This universe is unique and was created specifically for this work. The list below explains how each of the following terms are used in this setting:
> 
>  **Blood Magic:** magic that is directly tied to a person's bloodline. It does not involve sacrifice or anything...intense. This story is fluffy. The source of the magic is literally in their blood  
>  **Craft and Crafters:** magic and magic users  
>  **Necromancer - Necromancy:** the definition of this one is pretty much the same, but - if you are not familiar with it - just consider it dark/evil blood magic
> 
> To my husband...  
> You're my happily ever after, babe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**~ Prologue ~**

_Blood Magic_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Blood magic was the oldest and most powerful of the ancient crafts. 

The best and strongest blood crafters hailed from Chandrila, where the heart of all blood magic, the Sanguine Well, rose up from the earth. The people of Chandrila served as caretakers and protectors of the Well. Reverence of the blood craft wove into the fabric of their souls. Their culture thrived around it. Their beliefs embodied it.

Even love bowed before it.

Bonding bracelets were born of blood magic. 

The ritual creation of a bonding bracelet pair marked the transition from childhood into maturity. When a man or woman reached their 20th birthday, they and their family traveled to the Sanguine Well. 

Four cuts were made on the right hand. Six drops of blood offered to the water...

Then the Well would churn and rise with violence, swelling till the overflow swept over the youth who fed their blood to the currents. 

When the water receded, the bracelet pair remained. 

One bracelet for the man or woman who sought the well. One for their soulmate. 

Only the first of any soulmate pair (the first seeker) to perform the ritual received the bracelets. Many who traveled to the Sanguine Well left empty handed, because their soulmate had offered blood first. 

The first seeker’s bracelet formed fully clasped around their wrist. The second bracelet remained open and would only close for the first seeker’s destined mate. When an unclaimed bracelet united with its true host, the open ends stretched and intertwined to form a rune.

From that moment on, the first seeker and their mate were blood bonded; their powers and abilities joined in a sacred union that was – to all known craft – unbreakable. The strength of a blood bound pair could be quite formidable and, over the centuries, powerful soulmates rose to become great warriors, crafters, and leaders of their people…

For this reason, Chandrila did not take the gift of bonded soulmates lightly. 

All proposed matches were registered and approved by the Ruling Council before an open bracelet could even be _tried on_ by a potential partner. Both parties were required to present evidence of their commitment to one another. If the alliance was approved, the betrothed pair participated in a public ceremony where the first seeker’s intended mate would activate the bond by finally placing the open bracelet around their wrist.

The Ruling Council believed this care and reverence honored the craft and the gods, thereby allowing the sacred tradition to continue. 

In 900 years of recorded history, only five bonding ceremonies ended with a bracelet that did not close. 

Now there were six…

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**~ Once Upon a Time ~**

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Poe!”

Rey chased her betrothed down the dusty corridor of Coruscant Hall. “I’m sorry…I-”

Poe whirled on her.

“ _None_ of this is your fault,” he sighed in defeat.

“There are many reasons why this could’ve happened-” she offered breathlessly.

“There’s _one_ reason why this happens, Rey. Just one.”

The girl rubbed her temples in frustration.

“ _I don’t understand._ The Council gave permission!”

“The Council isn’t all knowing… ” Poe collapsed against a nearby wall. “This is a disaster,” he whispered.

And it was.

Rey had no family, but all of her friends from the Academy were there.

Poe was technically an orphan as well, but his adopted family, the Solos, were there.

Leia Solo was on the Ruling Council, so half the kingdom was there to see her (adopted) son bond with the craft prodigy from Jakku.

 _Half the kingdom, but not her blood. Not her eldest son._ Rey thought bitterly.

The two were silent for several moments while their minds struggled to process the shock.

“Do you think the rumors – what they say about me - is true?” she asked solemnly.

Poe’s head shot up in an instant.

“ _No,_ ” he swore, “they’re absolutely not true.”

“But it didn’t close-”

“It didn’t close because we aren’t soulmates, Rey. Not because you aren’t one of us.” His expression softened. “We were a good idea… just not the _right_ one.”

Rey felt tears begin burn behind her eyes.

On some level she was not surprised. She cared for Poe but –

Theirs was not an overly romantic attachment.

It was a strong friendship - one that spanned several years. When they decided to apply to the Royal Council for bonding, it seemed…

Logical.

Friendship was an excellent basis for blood bonding. More than one bonded pair applied as friends.

Rey believed in the wisdom of the Royal Council, they _all_ did. If she and Poe were not meant for each other, the Council would surely see it. They would turn down the application. Someone would object…

 _Someone did object_ her mind taunted.

But they were approved.

The date was set. Announcements made. Invitations sent out. The bracelet was placed on her wrist and…

Nothing.

 _Nothing_ happened.

The bracelet remained stubbornly un-closed.

And Rey had never felt so mortified, so exposed… so profoundly _alone_ in her entire life.

It was a scandal of epic proportions, one which potentially called into question the judgement of the entire Ruling Council.

“Listen,” Poe said at last, “I need… I need to clear my head and think about the next steps. I know an expert on bonding bracelets. Maybe I can convince her to help. There might be another explanation…”

His hands came up to grasp Rey’s shoulders in a familiar comforting gesture.

“You can hide out at my house in the city for a while. No one will bother you there, and I’ll be back tomorrow.”

He gave her arms a brotherly squeeze.  “We’ll work through this.”

Rey nodded. She desperately wanted to be alone for few hours.

Poe helped her slip out the back corridor to avoid the insanity unfolding in Coruscant’s Great Hall (where the failed ceremony took place).  They parted with a final hug and Rey quietly walked the few miles to Poe’s beautiful manor near the lake.

Technically, Takodona House was one of many homes owned by the Solo family. This one, however, Poe shared with his older brother…

_Ben_

Ben Solo was a sore subject for Rey; she preferred _not_ to think about him if at all possible. She certainly would never agree to hide at his house if she thought he’d be there.

But Ben had left weeks ago… right after the betrothal was announced.

_“I cannot stand by and watch my brother make a mistake like this.”_

His horrible words echoed in her mind as she unlocked the door. She was preparing to simply collapse fully clothed on the chaise when-

“I expected you to be planning a formal marriage ceremony by now.”  
  
Rey turned, already knowing who she would see.

“Ben Solo. Of course.” A mirthless laugh bubbled up before she could stop it.

_Just what I needed right now._

She was always _unsettled_ around him. Her breath became shallow. Her stomach shifted nervously. Odd flashes of heat and frustration plagued her…

It was different with Poe and Finn - with any other man. She was calm and focused around most people in general, but with _him…_

She was unsure. Unbalanced. Filled with muddled thoughts - strange emotions… And she couldn’t help but fault him for her own loss of composure.

He raised a single eyebrow.

“It _is_ my house, Scavenger.”  
  
Ah Yes.

He was also openly hostile to her. A prince of Chandrila forced to interact with a foundling from Jakku because she happened to catch his brother’s eye.

_How that must grate his delicate sensibilities._

Rey clenched her jaw. She could not admit her humiliation to him just yet.

“Perhaps I’m here to plan,” she answered coolly. “A shame we cannot exclude the elder brother from our festivities. I hear it's bad manners.”  
  
“Not that I _would_ attend.”  
  
“A fortunate development, as it saves me the trouble of welcoming the only man who objected to my betrothal!”

Ben pushed off his perch against the mantle, rising to full intimidating height.  
  
“I had good reason.” The words were spoken quietly, but his eyes burned with conviction.  
  
Rey shivered; struck again by how different this man was from his brother.

Poe embodied hot tempered and bold; his riotous curls and energetic charm sent more than one maiden into a full swoon. He frequently drew comparisons to Leia and Han, so much so that people often assumed _Ben_ was the adopted sibling.

But where Poe was clever and outgoing, Ben was brilliant and quietly intense - content to practice his science and craft away from the masses. Poe was politically active and often competed in tournaments and marathons while his elder brother preferred ancient texts and rituals to living companionship.

The two men shared a surname and a love for their parents. That was where the similarities began and ended.

Ben was the taller and broader of the two. And though Poe’s hair was dark like his brother’s, he kept it cropped shorter. Ben’s thick mane fell to his shoulders, framing his handsome face with riotous (and undeniably sensual) energy.  

The arrogant troll _was_ handsome.

Poe was classically attractive, but Ben was…

Mesmerizing.

His striking brown eyes, muscular physique, and commanding presence were a devastating combination.

Rey prided herself on resisting his allure. He was a true-born prince. She had no business noticing his hair… or anything attached to it.

Her thoughts returned to the moment at hand and she paused, briefly, to assess her opponent. Although Ben _was_ generally quiet and withdrawn, the man advancing on her now was _quite_ engaged.

“What reason could you possibly have for obstructing your brother’s happiness?” she drawled archly.  
  
“Poe is not right for you, Rey-”  
  
“You _do not_ have permission to address me informally.” Her voice cracked through the air like a whip. “I may have been born a nothing from Jakku, but I am a ranked crafter and the betrothed of a royal _. You will_ refer to me accordingly.”  
  
Ben took a deep breath as he stared down the beautiful woman. His eyes drank her in as she stood before him - teeming with barely controlled fury.

She was _magnificent._

He still remembered the day Poe brought her to the family estate.

She seemed so serene, so _proper_ … an ideal contrast to his hot-headed sibling.

Within minutes, Ben dismissed her as vapid and uninteresting (which was profoundly tragic, considering her incredible beauty). The girl spoke very little, smiled very tightly, and sat very straight. She would make an excellent match for his domineering little brother, a biddable arm decoration to further his political career.

He’d been _so very wrong_.

Some months later Leia’s brother, Luke Skywalker, invited the entire family, including Rey, to an exclusive forum at the Academy on the dangers of experimental spells in alchemy. The speaker, a pretentious crafter with impressive credentials, was lecturing on and on and on - in a frankly nauseating manner –

When _Rey_ interrupted him.

“After all…” she’d said - with a mischievous spark in her glorious hazel eyes, “this _is_ a forum.”

The interruption soon morphed into a full scale war of words. She spoke with authority and intelligence, reducing the man’s theories to ash before the eyes of the assembly - literally transforming herself as he watched.

This was not the shallow little angel his brother brought home.

This was a _woman_ \- one filled with passion and intensity.

Ben could not comprehend _how_ she managed to suppress the force of her true nature. He theorized that the tepid persona she affected was an attempt to compensate for her questionable background. (Though only a fool would judge her on the circumstances of her birth, something she had no control over… Alas, the world was full of fools.)

He _was_ certain, however, of one thing:

His hot-headed and impulsive brother would _never_ suit her.

It was also slightly concerning that the sight of Rey rising up in glorious fury stirred something dark and potent within _him_.

Something he believed long dead.

Over the next several months, Ben deliberately baited her - pushing until fire blazed in her eyes. Until she was alive with energy instead of cold and distant.  
  
“Forgive me, _Mistress_ Rey _Solo, Most_ High _and_ Esteemed _,_ ” he scowled.  
  
“That is _not_ my name.”  
  
“It will be soon enough-”  
  
“You are _mistaken_ , my lord.”

He drew back. “Oh? So you’re _not_ bonded to my brother?”  
  
“Poe’s surname is _Dameron_ -Solo. You _know_ that… I would only be Rey Solo if -… if I was bonded to _you_.”  
  
Ben paled.

_Where is your head at, Solo?!_

Quickly he covered his mistake.

“It makes little difference. I will die without an heir or a mate… Then you’ll be a princess – and Poe will have the power he’s always wanted-”

“Poe does not want your power. He never has.” She shook her head. “I know you do not think very highly of me -”

“You have _no idea_ what I think of you, Mistress,” he interrupted fiercely.

Rey bristled and stepped defiantly into his space, fueled by the familiar wave of restless energy she encountered every time their wits clashed.

“I am a powerful crafter in my own right. I don’t need a wealthy mate to survive. I have done exceptionally well _for_ myself _by_ myself.”

“Then _why_ are you with him?”

She drew back incredulously.

“Is it so hard to believe that I do not _want_ to be alone anymore? Is it _wrong_ to look at my gorgeous best friend and consider that _perhaps_ we could create the _one thing_ I cannot earn or buy or craft - not with all the gold and power in the world -”

“Love?” Ben sneered.

“ _Family,_ ” she shot back. “Something you take for granted. Something you don’t even _want._ You’re not even searching for a bond mate!”

Ben continued to regard her with an icy glare. He knew she was baiting him.

“Ah Yes. I forgot,” Rey did not bother hiding her sarcasm. “The great Ben Solo, living out a life of self-imposed celibacy and solitude… as the walking eulogy of a traitor.”

“How dare you!” he snarled.

“What! How dare I _what_? Call her a traitor!? She was a _necromancer_. A dark crafter using evil – and highly illegal - magic.” Rey crossed her arms defiantly. “She almost killed you and I’m not entirely sure your whole relationship wasn’t the result of an accursed spell.”

Ben’s jaw worked in silence as he fought to control his emotions. Rey suddenly felt pity for him.

Still… Truth was truth.

“I’ve seen her spell books, Ben - uh - _my lord,_ ” her tone was softer now. “It _was_ possible.”

Of course it was possible.

He knew that _now_. But he hadn’t figured it out until it was far too late...

Andira was heart-stoppingly beautiful. Golden hair, green eyes, a sumptuous body…

She was a vision.

When she sought him out, it was like nothing he had ever experienced before. She dazzled him, _flattered_ him… left him breathless and enchanted... He loved her with obsessive intensity.

And yet…

She was almost certainly using him.

Ben’s grandfather, Anakin Skywalker, was the most powerful necromancer in a thousand years. The gift (or curse) of necromancy was genetic. Only a few bloodlines could use it. When Anakin’s beloved wife died in childbirth, he turned to dark craft in a desperate attempt to get her back.

But the cost of necromancy was steep.

It drained life force. Exposed the wielder to dangerous dark energies…

And slowly drove them insane.

Anakin was put down by his own children.

Andira wanted Ben’s power desperately. A blood bond with the grandson of Anakin Skywalker would have made her invincible. But the young prince remained stubbornly blind to her true motives, even when she convinced him to explore the dark edges of the craft in his blood…

He declared his intent to marry her in defiance of his family’s express wishes.

In response, his uncle, Luke Skywalker, did something unforgivable. He removed Ben’s bonding bracelet from the Skywalker vault and disappeared with it.

The theft and its dramatic aftermath tore the royal family apart.

Ben was convinced that his mother and father conspired with Luke to keep him from bonding with Andira. Han and Leia swore they had not, but openly admitted that they were grateful for Luke’s actions.

When he told Andira what happened, she flew into a violent rage. It was the first time Ben began to doubt her ardent declarations of love. In his bitterness, the young prince cut himself off from his heritage – from his people -

And disappeared.

For months, no one knew his whereabouts or even if he was still alive. Andira was convinced that if they held out long enough, the royal family would relent and welcome them back with open arms. Her obsession with finding Luke and his stolen treasure put an incredible strain on their relationship.

In the end, however, Andira was her own worst enemy. She was not strong enough to control the dark craft she wielded. One day, a particularly powerful accursed incantation rebounded-

And took her life.

The prince was devastated, but as the years passed he came to view his circumstances in a far more cynical - and fortunate - light.

Ben eventually received a pardon from the Royal Council for practicing dark craft (nepotism, am I right?) and returned to his family, but their relationship remained strained. Even Luke returning the bonding bracelet did not completely mend the wounds left by his entanglement with Andira Snoke.

“You’re taking shots in the dark now, Scavenger,” he warned.

“Am I? You’ve locked yourself away in that _dungeon_ you call a lab for the past four years! Not yet thirty winters, but you walk like a beaten man. She _knew_ your life would end with hers. She _still_ has the last laugh!”

Ben snapped forward with a strangled roar and seized both her arms – yanking her close to him. Sharp, spiraling heat shot through her as she met his livid black gaze.

“You have _no right_ to speak to me that way. You have _never_ been in love. You don’t know what it is to lose it!”

“I love your brother-”

“You _do not know_ my brother! And he does not know _you_.”

“Of course he knows me!”

“Does he, _Rey_?” Ben spoke her name intimately once again - not caring that he was forbidden to do so. His tone became subtly seductive and Rey fought to maintain focus as his words poured over her.

“Does he know how you light up the moment you’ve won an argument? Or see the smile you save for finding a solution no one else could? Does he even _realize_ that you hide an insatiable passion behind that chilling calm? ...  _Answer me_ , Rey!”

But she could not.

He had _seen_ her, and the truth cut deeply.

Rey searched for a partner who would suit her. Someone who needed her. Someone safe… Someone like Poe - who was kind and charming and often benefited from her perspective…

But something was missing.

She didn’t _want_ Poe as a woman should want her mate… and she suspected – on some level – that he did not want her either.

 _Perhaps it will come with time. Perhaps I’m just nervous._ She reassured herself over and over again.

But now the truth was unavoidable.

She did not _feel_ with Poe.

Not like when she argued her theories at the tribunals. Not like when she traveled to every corner of the kingdom to satisfy her curiosity. Not like-

Her breath caught.

_Not like with Ben._

Abruptly, Rey, realized what that unrelenting frustration with him _truly_ was.

_Desire._

When the prince saw his accusations confirmed in her troubled gaze, he lashed out and seized her wrist.

“How can you even wear his brace-”

He stopped cold. _It wasn’t there._

“Where is the bracelet?” His entire being seemed to suspend within a single question.

Rey held his gaze.

“It didn’t close,” she said breathlessly.

Then her eyes changed. From guarded to… hopeful.

 _Inviting_.

Just for an instant.

But it was enough. Every urge, every impulse, every desperate longing he’d leashed out of self-preservation suddenly broke free with a vengeance.

Ben dragged her completely into his arms, bringing her face mere breaths from his.

“You will _never_ belong to him,” he growled as his lips came crashing down on hers.

Rey had let Poe kiss her. He was her betrothed after all. But it was _nothing_ like _this._

Dark wicked heat poured through her body as she melted into his kiss. Her hands circled his neck. She pressed forward shamelessly. Her fingers curled into his glorious hair, drawing him deeper into their embrace.

If Ben was surprised that he kissed her, he was profoundly shocked when she began kissing him back. His arms snaked around her body, desperate to bring them closer. He nipped her lower lip and she opened to allow him a heady exploration of her mouth. His grip tightened. Rey let out a small mewl of pleasure that sent him straight over the edge.

Molten desire tore through her center, sending her off balance and forcing them to shift until she was braced up against the wall. She clawed frantically at his tunic and he hissed as her nails scraped over his chest. The spark between them had been building for far too long. Now it blazed out of control.

Ben began to move them towards his quarters. His hands slipped under her frothy shirt and Rey arched as unexpected pleasure twisted through her. She needed _more._ So much more. Her eyes flew open when his mouth found the column of her throat. She recognized the door they were leaning on now. A decision needed to be made and it took less than a moment to make it. Her fingers tightened in his hair - forcing Ben’s eyes to connect with hers.

 _“Mine,”_ she breathed, holding his gaze so he would not mistake her meaning.

He groaned and surged against her while she fumbled desperately at the latch. After a few seconds the door gave way, and they tumbled chaotically onto his bed.

%~~%~~%~~%~~%~~%

  
  
Rey lay next to him while dawn slowly trickled in through the windows.

Her mind was torn between euphoria and guilt. But her _body..._

She could feel the imprint of his fingers where they cupped her jaw…could hear the words he whispered against her skin…

Anxiety and reality begin to claw through the haze of pleasure.

_Oh gods… What have I done?_

She was betrothed to his _brother._

….Yet it was Ben’s name she called into the darkness.

 _Ben_ who broke through her maidenhead as she writhed and begged beneath him.

Their passion raged well past sundown, and now she lay in knots beside him, watching his chest rise and fall in soothing rhythm.

Rey wrenched her gaze away out of self-preservation. Dawn provided enough light to make out the books and artifacts haphazardly occupying his space. Notes lay strewn among piles of discarded clothes and glass bottles...

Her eyes caught on a strange shape atop his desk and she retrieved it– unable to control her curiosity.  
  
_This must be his._  
  
Ben’s bracelet was bigger than his brother’s. Thick golden vines and leaves braided intricately around each other to form the band… It was exquisite.

The most beautiful she had ever seen.

Poe’s cuff was ostentatious – covered in rubies and diamonds. It didn’t suit her tastes at all. She remembered cringing at the thought of wearing it for the rest of her life.  
  
Ben stirred beside her and Rey’s heart broke all over again.  
  
_How could I have been so blind?_  
  
She wanted him. No one else.

She loved _him_. No one else.

Stifling a gasp, Rey felt tears begin to fall slowly down her cheek as she studied Ben’s bracelet – knowing she would hate whoever wore it.

Or perhaps it would never activate - not if Andira was his soulmate. It would have died with her life force.

Still...  
  
She turned to make sure Ben was still sleeping.  
  
_For a moment_ … _I can pretend..._

_I can pretend he’s mine._

Holding her breath, Rey carefully slid the bracelet over her hand and pressed it to her wrist – right at the pulse point-

And it _burned_. For several seconds it burned _everywhere_ – inside and out.

Then it stopped as abruptly as it began. Rey’s hand flew to her wrist –

Her eyes widened.

_It closed._

The golden vines of Ben’s bracelet wove together over her wrist in a perfect fit. A rune seal glowed softly above her pulse point; the same rune that sealed every bonded bracelet pair.

An Integra rune.

It meant _complete._

“Oh...”

Frantically she began to tug at the bracelet, but it molded to her and would not disengage. Panic closed in from every side.

_This cannot be happening! I had no right - the Council will be furious-_

_Ben…_

_I never meant to trap you._

“Rey?”

Ben was awake. The heat of the bond forming jolted him from a sound slumber. His gaze fixed on the bracelet – as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.

Rey opened her mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Her soul laid bare before him and he could destroy her with a word.

Tentatively he reached forward, lifting his fingers to trace the rune.

“Complete…” he breathed reverently. Then his eyes found hers. “ _Complete_.”

She gasped as he pulled her in and tenderly brushed away her tears.

“You _are_ mine,” he whispered, unable to disguise the wonder in his voice.

Hope swelled in her chest.

“I love you.” The words escaped without conscious thought, but his smile came too quickly for her to regret them.

He kissed her then, unable to wait another instant. She sighed as he lifted her from the bed and drew her fully into his arms. When they finally broke for air, Ben leaned his forehead onto hers. Joy warmed through him for the first time in decades.

“It’s so much more than I imagined.”

Rey smiled and shook her head. “What is?”

“Love,” he sighed against her lips. “Love when it’s real.”

  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**~ Epilogue ~**

_15 Hours Later_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ben shifted uncomfortably as he watched his brother pace about the room.

“And she just- … _went to bed with you_ like she wasn’t betrothed to _me_ two hours beforehand.”

“I’m not sure if answering that is-”

“ _Ben-”_       

“She did. It…happened.” He cleared his throat. “Repeatedly.”

He tried very hard not to grin.

Poe pretended not to notice.

“And you’re willing to face the consequences of this? To potentially fight our parents – the Council - all of society - … for _her_?”

“I was willing to push for Andira,” Ben’s fists clenched, “But I _will_ tear apart anything or anyone who attempts to separate me from Rey.” He rose to his full height and loomed menacingly. “And that includes _you_.”

A small smile twitched at the corner of Poe’s mouth.

“ _Good_. That’s what she deserves.”

Ben’s jaw dropped. His eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“You’re being _awfully_ accommodating and supportive right now, little brother…”

“Well… The thing is-” Poe shook his head. “Ok. Let me start over.” He took a deep breath. “Do you remember that quiet woman who drives me absolutely insane?”

Ben blinked several times and Poe tried to be more specific.

“The one from work who keeps bothering me with her face and her hair and her hip swaying and her total inability to see reason-”

“…Kaydel Connix? That sweet archivist who bakes cookies for everyone?”

“Everyone but _me_!”

“My mistake,” Ben coughed.

“Yeah… well – you see – she’s an expert on bonding bracelets. _So_ I headed directly over to her office when my bracelet didn’t close to see if she could check it for some sort of… hex – or something-”

“You have no idea how craft works, do you?”

“None whatsoever.”

“Alright then –”

“Well we got in a fight – because she is the most unreasonable woman in the entire kingdom. Aaand I accused her of being jealous – for some reason. Then she accused _me_ of being an impulsive hot-head – which was rude. So I grabbed my bracelet and shouted ‘how’s _this_ for impulsive!’ and I slipped it right over her hand and–”

“It closed.”

“ _It kriffin closed!_ On the wrist of a woman who has literally dumped tea on me five separate times!”

“Well… What did she do?”

“She screamed at me for a solid hour.” Poe’s face broke into a slow grin. “Then she screamed my name for several solid hours.” His eyes glazed over a bit “I am unreasonably in love with her.”

Ben groaned and ran his hand over his face.

“Oooh we are in _so much_ trouble.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Mom is going to kill us.”

“ _Exactly_ – which is why I think it might be best if we see the Council _together_ and explain to them - and our parents - why we’ve been …casually slapping sacred bonding bracelets on women.”

“Technically my woman was the one slapping –”

“ _Reeaally_ -”

“-the _bracelet_.” Ben rolled his eyes. “Gods, you’re an animal.”

“That’s what Kaydel said –”

“I am formally begging you to stop.”

Poe laughed and raised his hands in mock surrender. “ _So_ …the Royal Council. Together?”

“I think that’s probably for the best.” He sighed.

“You have any idea what you’re going to say?”

Ben bit his lip.

“How does ‘I seduced my brother’s betrothed the moment I found out she couldn’t marry him’ sound?”

Poe winced.

“Needs work.”

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback of any sort is always appreciated! I thrive on comments. I swear they're like those stars in Super Mario. I walk around blinking and humming my own theme music when I get one...
> 
> Power me up, pretty please?
> 
> If you enjoyed this, please consider checking out my Reylo Vigilante AU [Bless Me Father for I Have Sinned](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14506650/chapters/33515232) which (despite it’s title) has nothing to do with priests or being sacrilegious... It’s more of a romantic comedy of errors.
> 
> I also have a [tumblr](https://sularae.tumblr.com/) now! Come say hello!


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